ASEAN defense chiefs call for the fighting in Gaza to cease, but they struggle to address Myanmar

By NINIEK KARMINI and EDNA TARIGAN
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Southeast Asian defense ministers called for the fighting in Gaza to cease and for the world to collaborate on setting up humanitarian aid corridors in Gaza, but they struggled on how to address the civil strife in Myanmar. The Myanmar crisis was high on the agenda when defense chiefs from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. Myanma’s defense minister was barred from attending the meetings due to the military government’s failure to comply with a five-point emergency plan drafted to ease the violence. ASEAN has not made a formal statement about the Israel-Hamas war. Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei are strong supporters of the Palestinians and none has diplomatic relations with Israel.